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Austrian authorities have warned people not to eat raw cherry tomatoes from Ragusa and Caltanissetta in Sicily after Salmonella infections were reported. Austria has recorded 21 confirmed and eight probable Salmonella Strathcona cases; officials say tomatoes from the named areas should be thoroughly heated if used.
Austrian authorities have warned against eating raw cherry tomatoes from the Sicilian areas of Ragusa and Caltanissetta after recurring Salmonella infections were linked to a possible source in tomatoes. Austria has reported 21 confirmed and eight probable Salmonella Strathcona cases across seven federal states, and officials advise thoroughly heating tomatoes from those areas before eating them.
The warning was issued by the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) and the Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection. It applies to raw cherry tomatoes from the two named areas, rather than all tomatoes or all produce from Italy. The authorities’ advice is to avoid eating the affected tomatoes raw; if they are used, they should be thoroughly heated.
AGES reported that 28 people became ill from late July, while one additional patient was sick during winter. Seven people required hospitalization. The affected group has a median age of 36, ranging from 10 months to 79 years; 17 are male and 12 female. Six cases were considered likely to have been acquired abroad: five patients had traveled to Italy and one to Croatia before becoming ill.
Initial patient interviews point to travel in Italy and tomato consumption, but the source report does not establish that every Austrian case ate tomatoes from either named area. In Italy, authorities earlier this month found Salmonella Strathcona and monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium in cherry tomatoes. The report also cites 117 salmonellosis cases in Brescia and 15 in Bergamo, without specifying in the supplied material that all were confirmed to have the same source.
Why the Tomato Alert Matters
The warning gives consumers and food businesses a specific precaution while investigations continue: do not serve the named tomatoes raw, and heat them thoroughly if they are used. The alert also matters because the reported infections span multiple countries and appear to recur during the late-summer-to-winter tomato season. That pattern raises concern about repeated exposure through produce distribution, rather than a single isolated meal or local event.
For people who are more vulnerable to severe foodborne illness, including young children and older adults, the practical stakes can be higher. Seven of the Austrian patients were hospitalized, and the reported age range includes an infant. The advisory is limited to tomatoes from Ragusa and Caltanissetta, but consumers may not always know the growing area if product details are incomplete. The source material does not provide a product brand, batch code, or retailer list.
The recurring cases also have implications for growers, suppliers, caterers and public institutions. Measures taken in Italy have restricted the serving of raw fresh tomatoes in certain institutional catering settings in Puglia. Such steps can reduce exposure while authorities investigate, but they do not by themselves identify how contamination occurred or show that all affected produce has been removed from circulation.
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A Cross-Border Outbreak Pattern
The current warning follows reports from several European countries. The source report says more than 160 confirmed infections have been recorded across 10 countries since July 2026, with sequencing results pending for another 100 patients. Those figures describe the reported period and countries; pending genetic analysis means some cases may not yet be classified as part of the same outbreak.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has said the recurrence of cases suggests continued transmission and distribution of contaminated produce in Italy and elsewhere. It warned that new infections may continue while seasonal deliveries of contaminated produce persist and until the source is identified and control measures are implemented. The ECDC statement is a risk assessment, not confirmation that every current case came from tomatoes.
The longer record points to repeated seasonal illness. From 2023 through 2026, the report says 800 people in 17 European countries became ill, including 133 in Austria, with cases occurring mostly from late summer through December. In late 2025, AGES detected the outbreak strain in organic cherry tomatoes from Italy; it was also detected in irrigation water at a Sicilian tomato producer. Those earlier findings support investigation of a possible contamination pathway, but the report does not say they establish the source of the current cases.
“If cherry tomatoes from these regions must be used, they should be thoroughly heated before consumption.”
— Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety and the Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection
The Contamination Source Remains Unknown
The available information does not identify the precise producer, shipment, batch or point at which the tomatoes became contaminated. It is also not clear how many Austrian patients ate tomatoes from Ragusa or Caltanissetta, or whether the same route explains all cases across Europe. Patient interviews, seasonal timing, food investigations and genetic similarity support a common-source hypothesis, but they do not establish the full chain of transmission.
Sequencing results for around 100 additional patients are still pending, according to the source report. Authorities have not provided a complete account of whether affected lots remain on sale, nor a list of brands or retailers covered by the warning. The report also does not specify the exact date the Austrian warning was issued or whether the advisory has an end date.
Investigators Track Cases and Supply
Health and food-safety authorities are expected to continue interviewing patients, testing samples and tracing tomato shipments. Pending sequencing results may clarify which infections belong to the same outbreak, while product and producer investigations could help determine whether the contamination is linked to a particular farm, water source or handling step.
For now, consumers should follow the Austrian advisory for raw cherry tomatoes from Ragusa and Caltanissetta and check product-origin information where available. Food businesses serving tomatoes should verify their suppliers and avoid serving covered produce raw; the stated guidance is to heat it thoroughly if used. Any expanded warning, recall or change to the advice would depend on findings from ongoing investigations.
Key Questions
Which tomatoes are covered by Austria’s warning?
The warning concerns raw cherry tomatoes from Ragusa and Caltanissetta in Sicily. The supplied report does not name specific brands, batches or retailers.
Can tomatoes from those areas be eaten if they are cooked?
Austrian authorities say that if the cherry tomatoes must be used, they should be thoroughly heated before consumption. The warning is against eating them raw.
How many Salmonella cases has Austria reported?
Austria has reported 21 confirmed and eight probable Salmonella Strathcona cases across seven federal states. The report says seven patients required hospitalization.
Has the source of the infections been confirmed?
No precise contamination source has been confirmed in the supplied information. Interviews and investigations point toward tomatoes, while authorities continue tracing cases and produce shipments.
Source: rss
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